NET Bible
"When the sheep mated in front of the branches, they gave birth to young that were streaked or speckled or spotted."
— Genesis 30:39, NET Bible
“And the flocks conceived before the rods, and brought forth cattle ringstraked, speckled, and spotted.”
“And the flocks conceived before the rods, and the flocks brought forth ringstreaked, speckled, and spotted. ”
“The flocks conceived before the rods, and the flocks brought forth streaked, speckled, and spotted.”
“And it came to pass, that in the very heat of coition, the sheep beheld the rods, and brought forth spotted, and of divers colours, and speckled.”
“And because of this, the flock gave birth to young which were marked with bands of colour.”
“And the flocks conceived before the rods, and brought forth cattle ringstraked, speckled, and spotted.”
Then he separated them from Jacob by a three-day journey, while Jacob was taking care of the rest of Laban’s flocks.
But Jacob took fresh-cut branches from poplar, almond, and plane trees. He made white streaks by peeling them, making the white inner wood in the branches visible.
Then he set up the peeled branches in all the watering troughs where the flocks came to drink. He set up the branches in front of the flocks when they were in heat and came to drink.
When the sheep mated in front of the branches, they gave birth to young that were streaked or speckled or spotted.
Jacob removed these lambs, but he made the rest of the flock face the streaked and completely dark-colored animals in Laban’s flock. So he made separate flocks for himself and did not mix them with Laban’s flocks.
When the stronger females were in heat, Jacob would set up the branches in the troughs in front of the flock, so they would mate near the branches.
But if the animals were weaker, he did not set the branches there. So the weaker animals ended up belonging to Laban and the stronger animals to Jacob.